Developing pre reading tasks with first year students of english major division, department of social science, vinh phuc college an action research

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ***************** VŨ QUỲNH HOA DEVELOPING PRE-READING TASKS FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH-MAJOR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, VINH PHUC COLLEGE: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROCESS (NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG VỀ VIỆC PHÁT TRIỂN HOẠT ĐỘNG GIAI ĐOẠN TRƯỚC KHI ĐỌC CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT CỦA TỔ NGOẠI NGỮ, KHOA XÃ HỘI, TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG VĨNH PHÚC) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 HANOI – 2016 VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FACULTY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDIES ***************** VŨ QUỲNH HOA DEVELOPING PRE-READING TASKS FOR FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS OF ENGLISH-MAJOR DIVISION, DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, VINH PHUC COLLEGE: AN ACTION RESEARCH PROCESS (NGHIÊN CỨU HÀNH ĐỘNG VỀ VIỆC PHÁT TRIỂN HOẠT ĐỘNG GIAI ĐOẠN TRƯỚC KHI ĐỌC CHO SINH VIÊN NĂM THỨ NHẤT CỦA TỔ NGOẠI NGỮ, KHOA XÃ HỘI, TRƯỜNG CAO ĐẲNG VĨNH PHÚC) M.A MINOR PROGRAMME THESIS Field: English Teaching Methodology Code: 60140111 Supervisor: Dr Vũ Thị Thanh Nhã HANOI – 2016 DECLARATION I certify that the work contained in this thesis is the result of my own research, and this thesis has not been submitted for any degree at any other university or institution Hanoi, January 2016 Signature Vũ Quỳnh Hoa i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am indeed thankful to my supervisor, Dr Vũ Thị Thanh Nhã, whose sympathetic guidance has been the source of inspiration and knowledge for my research I am also grateful to other teachers of the Department of Post-Graduate Studies for their encouragement and valuable advice I have profound regards for all the teachers of English-major Division of Vinh Phuc College and for all of the English-major freshmen of the class 18 who spent their precious time on completing my survey questionnaire Without their enthusiastic cooperation, my thesis would not have been completed My great thanks are also given to my family and my friends who have constantly supported, inspirited and encouraged me during the process of my study ii ABSTRACT This action research focused on finding out the primary problem related to using pre-reading tasks; hence, the major purpose of the study aimed to develop prereading tasks for improving students‟ reading performance The research was conducted with first-year students of English-major Division, Department of Social Science, Vinh Phuc College Data were collected through observed lessons and two sets of survey questionnaire delivered to 32 freshmen of the class 18 English after the lessons The research findings revealed the problem of ineffective use of pre-reading tasks in reading lessons as well as its causes and effects on students‟ reading performance Finally, I also presented suggestions for developing prereading tasks that the teachers have used in their reading lessons for improving students‟ reading performance iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AR: Action Research No: Number of students Ss: Students iv LISTS OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1: Action research procedure Figure 2: Simple action research model (Kemmis & McTaggart, 2008, p.278) Figure 3: Detailed Action Research Model (Susman, 1983) Table 1: Students‟ assessment on the first lesson Table 2: Students‟ assessment on pre-reading tasks used in the first lesson Table 3: Reasons for effectiveness and ineffectiveness of pre-reading tasks provided by the students Table 4: Students‟ assessment on exercises and tasks at the while and post reading stages in the first lesson Table 5: Students‟ suggestions about efficient pre-reading tasks in the next reading lesson Table 6: Students‟ assessment on the first try-out lesson Table 7: Students‟ assessment on pre-reading tasks used in the first try-out lesson Table 8: Reasons for effectiveness of pre-reading tasks provided by the students Table 9: Students‟ assessment on exercises and tasks at the while and post- reading stages in the first try-out lesson v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii ABSTRACT iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS iv LISTS OF FIGURES AND TABLES v TABLE OF CONTENTS .vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Rationale .1 1.2 Aims of the Study .2 1.3 Research questions .2 1.4 Significance of the Study 1.5 Scope of the Study Method of the research .3 Design of the study CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Theoretical background of reading 2.2.1 Definitions of reading 2.2.2 Types of reading 2.3 Teaching and learning reading skills 2.3.1 The importance of reading in foreign language learning 2.3.2 Stages of a reading lesson 10 2.4 Theoretical background of pre-reading tasks 11 2.4.1 Overview of pre-reading tasks 11 2.4.2 Pre-reading Tasks 12 Summary 16 vi CHAPTER 3: THE METHODOLOGY 17 3.1 Introduction 17 3.2 Situation analysis 17 3.2.1 Setting of the study 17 3.2.2 Reading materials 17 3 Participants 20 3.3.1 The researcher 20 3.3.2 The observed students .21 3.3.3 The researcher’s assistants .21 3.4 Data Collection Instruments 21 3.4.1 Questionnaire .21 3.4.2 Classroom observations 22 3.5 Methods of Data Analysis 23 3.6 Research Method – Action research (AR) 23 3.6.1 Definitions of AR .23 3.6.2 Action research model .24 Summary 26 CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS 27 4.1 Introduction 27 Findings 27 4.2.1 Cycle 27 4.2.2 Cycle 36 4.2.3 Cycle 37 Summary 37 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 39 Introduction 39 5.2 Discussion 39 5.3 Implications 40 vii 5.3.1 Employing pre-reading tasks suitable for students’ interests 40 5.3.2 Varying pre-reading tasks 3.3 Pedagogical 3.4 Improving th Limitations and suggestions for further study REFERENCES APPENDIXES viii + learn more vocabulary and information about a healthy diet + improve reading skills such as scanning, skimming + practise with various exercises and tasks after reading comprehension II Language content Vocabulary: five new words: diet, dairy, grain, high-fat III Methods and techniques Methods: Communicative language teaching Techniques: Pair work, group work, individually IV Teaching aids - Board, chalk, lesson plan, pictures V Anticipated problems and solutions Anticipated problems - Students may not have enough vocabulary to complete the task - Students may not pronounce some words or phrases correctly Possible solutions - Teacher should be ready to assist them to use correct vocabulary - Teacher should be ready to correct all mistakes if necessary VI Procedures Stage/ Time XLI written down PREREADING (1 period) - take notes and 1.2 Discussion - gives two questions on the board: What you eat every day? Do you think your diet is a healthy diet? Why or why not? answer the questions present their answers in front of the class - - divides the whole class into eight groups of four to discuss two given questions - sends each group one paper A3 to draw pictures for illustrating their answers After minutes, calls on two groups to present their answers in front of the class - leads to the topic of the lessons: “Do you think your diet is a healthy diet? Some people say yes, others say no Today, we‟re reading about a healthy diet” Pre-teaching vocabulary (20 mins) - Before reading, introduces Ss new words in write words in notebooks new their the reading passage: + diet (picture & example) + dairy (picture & example) + grain (picture & example & explanation) + high-fat (picture & example) - writes new words on the board with their pronunciation, meaning and usage - reads all words at the same time (2-3 times) has Ss practise in chorus and then individually - - asks Ss to give some sentences with these new words - read new words in chorus and then individually givesome sentences with these new words - XLII WHILEREADING XLIII periods board and checks by asking them to give explanation information from the reading text Answers Yes, because they eat a lot meat and only a small amount of grains, fruit and vegetables No, because they eat large amounts of grains and very little meat a Their rates of heart disease and cancer increase b because their diet changes The disease rates in these countries are listen to the increasing along with the change in diet instruction and because people also eat more meat and dairy read the text products again and answer the questions Exercise 2: Reading Analysis - givetheir either circle the letter of the correct answer, or answers and explanation write your answer in the space provided” - gives the instruction: “read the text again and - - asks Ss to work in groups to the exercise - After 10 minutes, calls on some Ss to give their answers orally Answers a a 3 type footnote a a a a - take notes and givesome XLIV a 10 a 2 Exercise 3: Word form Part 1: - introduces several ways of changing verbs to nouns by adding the suffix –ment examples on the board work individually to complete the exercise and give their answers E.g announce (v), announcement (n) - calls on some Ss to give some examples - asks Ss to work individually to complete the sentences in the textbook with the correct form of the words given - calls on some Ss to give their answers and checks Answers 11 improvement/ improve 12 agrees / agreement - take notes and give some examples on the board 13 encourages / encouragement 14 develop/ development 15 enjoy / enjoyment Part 2: work individually to complete the exercise and give their answers - introduces some cases of the same form of the noun and the verb E.g move (v), move (n) - calls on some Ss to give some examples - asks Ss to work individually to complete the sentences in the textbook with the correct form of the words given - take notes and completethe - calls on some Ss to give their answers and XLV checks Answers 11 researchs v./ research n 12 Care n / care v 13 increases v / increases n 14 causes n / causes v 15 changes n / changes v Exercise 4: Vocabulary in context - asks Ss to fill some words from the reading text in the new contexts - gives Ss some strategies before doing the exercise such as studying sentences and words before complete these sentences - calls on some Ss to give their answers and checks Answers confused types disease - introduces three activities given in the activities and asks Ss to choose one of them to join the activity - calls on some pairs to role play and perform in front of the class exercise POSTREADING (1 period) APPENDIX F SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE I XLVII Các câu hỏi để làm liệu cho đề tài Luận Văn Thạc Sỹ: Nghiên cứu hành động việc phát triển hoạt động giai đoạn trước đọc với sinh viên năm thứ tổ Ngoại ngữ, Khoa Xã hội, trường Cao đẳng Vĩnh Phúc Rất mong em bớt chút thời gian trả lời cách trung thực xác câu hỏi Mọi thông tin em cung cấp bảo mật Xin chân thành cảm ơn cộng tác em! Em đánh dấu (√) vào ô tương ứng đưa ý kiến khác chỗ trống Em đánh giá học hôm nào? a Rất hiệu b Hiệu c Ít hiệu d Chưa hiệu Theo em, hoạt động trước đọc có bổ ích khơng? Tại sao? Hoạt động trước đọc - Thảo luận câu hỏi theo cặp - Học từ vựng, cấu trúc liên quan tới đọc XLVIII - Bài tập dự đoán trước nội dung đọc Em đánh giá tập hay hoạt động đọc sau đọc học hôm nào? Hoạt động tập a Các tập đọc - Bài tập chọn câu sai - Bài tập trả lời câu hỏi - Bài tập chọn đáp án - Bài tập dạng từ - Bài tập từ vựng với ngữ cảnh b Các hoạt động sau đọc - Các hoạt động đóng vai - Các hoạt động thảo luận viết liên quan tới chủ đề học Em có gợi ý thêm hoạt động trước đọc không? ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………… ………………… …………………………………………………………… ……………Hết…………… Xin trân thành cảm ơn! XLIX APPENDIX G SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE II Các câu hỏi để làm liệu cho đề tài Luận Văn Thạc Sỹ: Nghiên cứu hành động việc phát triển hoạt động giai đoạn trước đọc với sinh viên năm thứ tổ Ngoại ngữ, Khoa Xã hội, trường Cao đẳng Vĩnh Phúc Rất mong em bớt chút thời gian trả lời cách trung thực xác câu hỏi Mọi thơng tin em cung cấp bảo mật Xin chân thành cảm ơn cộng tác em! Em đánh dấu (√) vào ô tương ứng đưa ý kiến khác chỗ trống Em đánh giá học hôm nào? Em giải thích cho câu trả lời e Rất hiệu f Hiệu g Ít hiệu h Chưa hiệu (Lí do: ………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………… ……………………………………………………………………………….) Theo em, hoạt động trước đọc có bổ ích không? Tại sao? Hoạt động trước đọc - Thảo luận trò chơi hoạt động động não (brainstorming) L - Học từ vựng, cấu trúc liên quan tới đọc - Bài tập dự đoán trước nội dung đọc a Có  b Khơng  Em đánh giá tập hay hoạt động đọc sau đọc học hôm nào? Hoạt động tập a Các tập đọc - Bài tập trả lời câu hỏi - Bài tập chọn đáp án - Bài tập dạng từ - Bài tập từ vựng với ngữ cảnh b Các hoạt động sau đọc - Các hoạt động đóng vai - Các hoạt động thảo luận viết liên quan tới chủ đề học ……………Hết…………… LI ... out the action research to develop pre- reading tasks for first- year students of English- major Division, Department of Social- Science, Vinh Phuc College Based on the findings of this action research, ... prereading tasks for improving students? ?? reading performance The research was conducted with first- year students of English- major Division, Department of Social Science, Vinh Phuc College Data were collected... pre- reading tasks to improving firstyear students? ?? reading performance in reading lessons at English- major Division, Department of Social- Science, Vinh Phuc College 3.6.2 Action research model